Suction cleaner



April 30, A1940.

H. B. WHITE sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed Feb. 19, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR IYanf'W/zl'e ATTORNEY April 30, 1940. H B W|||TE 2;198,897

SUCTION CLEANER Filed F'eb. 19, 1937 3 Sheets`Sheet 2 INVENTOR 15210071?. While ATTORNEY April 30, 1940. H, B WH|ITE l 2.198.897

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 19, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 will" INVENTOR 'ally. While ATTORNEY Patented pr. 30, 1940 PATENT oEI-lcE 2,198,897 sUoTIoN CLEANER.

Harry B. White, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 19, 1937, Serial No. 126,651

Claims.

'Ihe present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and more particularly to new and novel suction cleaner body-supporting means. More specii'lcally the invention comprises a suc- 5 tion cleaner in which the cleaner body is supported upon an ambulatory chassis in a new and novel manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner. It

is another object of the invention to provide a suction cleaner embodying new and novel supporting means. Still another object of the invention is the provision of a suction cleaner in which the cleaner bodyis adjustably mounted upon a wheeled chassis. A still further object 'of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which the cleaner body is pivotally mounted upon a supporting chassis'in a manner to reduce to a minimum all friction resulting from the pivoting and in whichy a spring acts to hold the body and chassis together. A still further object of the invention is to provide a suctioncleaner in which the cleaner body is freely pivoted upon and is 4spring-held to a supporting chassis which chassis also carries the actuating handle.

'I'hese and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims, and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suction cleaner embodying the present invention with certain parts broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is the bottom view of the cleaner shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial section upon line 3-3 o Figure 2 and shows the pivotal mounting between the cleaner body and lits supporting chassis;

Figure 4 is a transversevertical section through the pivotal connection upon the line 4-4 of Figure 2; m

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the cleaner chassis;

ligure 6 is a partial bottom view of a cleaner embodying a preferred modiiication of the present invention; y

Figure 7 is a section upon the line 1 1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a section. upon the line 8--8 of Figure 7;'

Figure 9 is a partial section similar to Figure 7 and shows a second preferred modification of the present invention.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive in particular, the rst embodiment of the invention 5 is disclosed. A suction cleaner body including a nozzle I having front and rear surface-contacting lips 2 and 3, is interiorlyconnected by an air passageway 4 to afan chamber 5, within which is positioned a suction-creating fan 6, .and 10 which includes an exhaust outlet 1. A motor housing 8 is positioned above the fan chamber 5 and encloses anunshown driving motor, the shaft 9 of which extends downwardly through the fan chamber 5 where it-carries the fan 6 15 and into the air passageway 4 where it is formed as a pulley. A power-transmitting belt I0 transmits the rotational force of `the driving motor shaft to the nozzle l and`functions to rotate an agitator Il which is adapted to contact a surface 20 covering undergoing cleaning` between the nozzle` lips 2 and 3 with its rigid beater elements I2 and brush elements i3. A dust bag I4 is removably secured to the rear of the cleaner, and particularly to the exhaust outlet l, by manually oper- 25 able securing means indicated generally at I5, and is adapted to receive the dirt-laden air exhausted from' the machineby the suction-creating fan.

'I'he entire cleaner body, including all the parts 30 heretofore described, is supported upon a Y- shaped chassis positioned below it and substantially hidden by the depending side walls or skirt of the body. 'This chassis is indicated generally by the reference character 20, and the lside arms 35 of the Y are bifurcated at their forward ends where supporting `wheels 2|, 2| are mounted. Rear supporting wheels 22, 22 are positioned at the bottom of the Y. l

The cleaner body immediately above the 40 central portion or crotch of the Y-shaped chassis is provided with a downwardly extending knife edged shoulder at 23, while the chassis is formed with a V-shaped seat 24 immediately thereunder which is adapted to seat the shoulder 23 and to 45 permit the latter to rock. Both shoulder 23 and seat 24 are formed in two halves which are centrally separated and at this separation a pin 25 I extends downwardly from the body and through an opening 26 formed in the chassis. Opening 50 26 is larger in diameter than pin 25 and the relationship therebetween does not interfere with the rocking of the body upon the chassis, or more specifically, the pivotal rocking movement of shoulder 23 in its seat 24. As is clearly seen 55 in Figure 1 the pin 25 extends in the plane of the shoulder 23.

A threaded nut 21"is carried by the lower end of pin 25 on the underside of chassis 20, and between the nut and the chassis is positioned a coil spring 28, which is under compression and which draws the pin downwardly thereby securing the body to the chassis.

At the forward extremity of one of the arms of the chassis a bracket 38 is rigidly secured and Y to this bracket is pivoted a bolt 3l which extends up through the overlying casing wall to be enclosed at its upper end by a casing-carried manually operable nut 32. AThe manual rotation of nut 32 in one direction causes the forward end of the machine to move downwardly about the supporting shoulder 23 as an axis, while rotation of the nut -in the opposite direction causes the front or nozzle end of the machine to be raised. f

As in the vusual suction cleaner an operating handle is provided, being indicated by the reference character 35. Handle 35 is bifurcated at its lower end and extends downwardly through slots 36, 36 in the cleaner body to be pivoted upon pins 31, 31 carried by the chassis. At one of the pins 31 is provided a coil spring 38 which tends to urge the handle forwardly at all times,

Handle position is maintained through the cooperation of a rigidly carried arcuate sector 40, formed with spaced detent seats, and a roller detent 4| mounted upon a frame 42. Frame 42 is pivoted to chassis 20 by the pin 43 and is pivoted by a coil spring 44 in such direction as to mainl tain roller 4| in constant engagement with the face of arcuate sector 40. I'he handle-positioning means is common and well known and permits the handle to be pivoted to definite positions and within denite ranges of movement. The handle weight, it is to be noted, is carried entirely by the chassis, and not by the cleaner body.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, a second preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in which the shoulders 23, 23 on the cleaner body and their'seats 24, 24 on the chassis, of the rst embodiment, have been replaced by a pair of conical pins 50, carried by the chassis which contact conical seat members 5I, 5I carried l by the body immediately thereabove. 'I'he relationship between the cleaner body and its chassisl is otherwise the same as in the rst embodiment, the body pivoting about a pivotal axis defined by the top ends of the conical pins 50, 58.

Referring now .to Figure 9 in particular, the third embodiment of the invention is disclosed, in which the knife edged shoulders 23, 23 of Figure l and their seats 24, 24 have been replaced by ball and socket mountlngs which are spaced in the manner of the second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive. A ball seat 55 positioned equi-distant from a longitudinal center line through the cleaner, in *the manner of pins 50, 50, seats a rotatable ball bearing 55 and the body of the cleaner is formed with a. downwardly facing seat member 51 which is supported by the ball in each case. The pivotal movement of the body of the cleaner is the same asin the previously described modications.

In all the modifications the body is secured to its supporting chassis about the pivotal axis under the force exerted by the coil spring at 28.

I claim:

1. In a suctioncleaner, the combination of a body and a wheeled frame supporting said body through the medium of a knife-edge bearing extending transversely of said body, a pin depending from said body and passing through said frame in the line of said knife-edge bearing and provided with a head at -its lower end, and a spring mounted on said pin between its head and the underside of said frame and acting to hold the same against said body and permitting a limited tilting movement thereof.

2. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a body and a wheeled frame supporting said body through the medium of a transverse bearing consisting of a complementary groove and knife edge, a pin passing through said frame substantiallyl in line with said knife-edge bearing and anchored in said body, and a coil spring carried at the lower end of said pin and bearing against the underside of said frame and acting to hold the same against said body and permitting a limited tilting movement thereof. y

3. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a body, a wheeled frame of U-shape arranged symmetrically beneath said body and having pivotal support thereon through the medium of a transverse knife-edge bearing between said frame and the underside of said body, a pin extending through said frame centrally of said knife-edge bearing and anchored in the underside of said body. a nut mounted on the threaded lower end of said pin, and a. spring mounted on said pin between said nut and the underside of said frame and adapted to hold said frame against said body and permit a limited tilting movement of said body on its knife-edge support.

4. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a. body, a wheeled carriage beneath said body and supporting the same for limited rocking movement thereon through the fmedium of a transverse'knife-edge bearing located rearwardly of the center of mass of said body, a pin depending from said body vand passing through said frame substantially in the line of said knife-edge bearing, and a spring mounted on said pin below said frame and acting to hold the same against said body and allowing the limited rocking movement thereof.

5. In a suction cleaner, the combination of a body, a carriage having wheels at its front and rear ends and supporting said body for limited rocking movement about a transverse axis defined 

